


Promises and Breaking Them

by zazieluvr



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Crying, Feelings, Fred Weasley Dies, Hurt/Comfort, Percy Weasley Redemption, Ron Weasley-centric, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 10:01:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29294082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zazieluvr/pseuds/zazieluvr
Summary: Ron Weasley never cried. It was as simple as that, an unspoken rule. That got much harder after his brother was gone.
Relationships: Arthur Weasley & Bill & Charlie & Fred & George & Ginny & Percy & Ron Weasley, Fred Weasley & Ron Weasley, Percy Weasley & Ron Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 42





	Promises and Breaking Them

Ron Weasley never cried. It was as simple as that, an unspoken rule. It wasn’t always followed, of course that was inevitable but it was enforced by himself. It was almost like shoving strangers on the street, you wouldn’t do it intentionally but if you walked into a stranger and shoved them, the rule had been broken without intention.

Ron created the rule when he was young, five or six years old. After he’d been teased by a much smaller George, for crying over a lost game of quidditch. He didn’t tell his siblings that was his rule. He kept it perfectly secret until he was thirteen years old, and recovering from a broken leg.

He’d cried then. Ron was upset at himself for crying, it was only a little bit of pain. He was irritable because of it. When his family left from visiting him, Fred stayed behind and boldly asked why the hell he was being such a prick. Ron had explained, (rather slowly and with a lot of prompting) his rule. Fred had called him thick. 

His older brother showed him something that day, a ratty old teddy bear, with pink and blue patches sewed along it. Fred had smiled giddily and explained he still slept with it sometimes, that everyone has something dumb like that. Ron hadn’t implemented his rule since then. Well until now.

His mother was a wreck, the Burrow was always awkward, nobody was sure what to say and how to break the silence. George was distancing himself from the family. Ron couldn’t add on to the growing list of problems, so the rule made its return.

Ron had spent the previous night sorting through the mess of clothes that he had let build up on the floor of his bedroom in The Burrow. He woke up earlier than he would have liked, looking out the small window to see the sun still progressing to rise. He sighed loudly, scrubbing a hand over his face and looking to the door of his room.

The Burrow was oddly silent this early in the morning, although since the battle of Hogwarts there had been a lot of odd quiet in his home. He had watched each of his siblings break their composure, Ginny had been first. She didn’t usually cry, but Ron couldn’t blame her, everything was very different. Percy was second, the boy having felt guilty for being beside Fred. Percy had then taken it upon himself to isolate from the family, just like he did before he left them. Charlie was next, then it was Bill, George surprisingly late as it was, was the last for now to cry.

Ron excused himself for not crying, he hadn’t been feeling a lot of anything recently. He wasn’t happy they won, he wasn’t even able to feel sad that people had suffered or that some had died. Fred had died. Ron willed himself to just pretend that Fred was just gone for a little bit, that made it much easier, if he denied his death had happened, then it couldn’t bother him anymore.

Ron slipped his legs out from beneath the orange quilt draping his bed, pushing his sock covered feet onto the floor below. He waited a moment, still and staring at his bookshelf like it was the most interesting thing in the world. When he snapped back into the present he stood up, walked to the door and silently opened it. 

Trudging down the creaky, winding stairs of his home, he ended up in the kitchen. He wasn’t usually up early. Sadly, it wasn’t a habit he’d picked up after being on the run for such a long time. 

Ron looked into the dining room and spotted a head of curly ginger hair, his lips twitched into a smile despite himself, at least the other wasn’t in his bedroom. The boy had his head in a book. Ever so typical. Ron had never exactly been the closest with Percy Weasley. He thought it might’ve been because of how obedient and hard-working Percy was, it didn’t match up to his morals.

Nonetheless, he walked into the kitchen, towards their fridge. On the way his back ended up facing his older brother. He took his time pouring himself a glass of pumpkin juice. Percy was looking at him, Ron could tell without turning, but Percy didn’t speak. Ron eventually heard the sound of a page flipping and assumed Percy had given up on his one-sided staring contest.

Ron turned around and was surprised to see Percy staring right at him. Ron pouted, taking a guess that Percy had done that just so Ron would turn around. 

“Good morning.” Percy greeted, his voice coming out harsh. 

“Hey.” Ron responded, in a soft tone.

Percy seemed to observe him for a moment, Ron felt like he was an equation with the way Percy was intently studying his face. Ron let his eyes fall to Percy’s feet and his heart caught in his throat.

“What are you doing with that?” Ron asked, trying his best to sound casual.

Percy visibly stiffened but not at the question, after hearing Ron speak Percy knew what Ron was thinking. He sat up at the table and tucked the trunk on the floor behind a foot. He didn’t speak for a long time and Ron almost thought he wasn’t getting an answer. That he was just supposed to assume the worst and leave Percy to go.

“I’m not leaving. Again... If that’s what you’re thinking.” Percy said, a frown worrying between his brows.

Ron stared at the trunk again for a little while. Percy either thought Ron was very stupid, or Percy was doing something unexplainable. Why would he be up so early, sneaking around with a trunk.

Percy sighed at the lack of response from Ron, “I’ve been doing something. Helping somebody out. They should be coming soon.”

Ron was even more perplexed by that, Percy hadn’t been out of his bedroom in at least a week. There was absolutely no way he’d been meeting some mystery person. Ron looked even more distressedly at his brother. 

“Who?” Was all Ron said to Percy.

Percy looked away from Ron, finally, Ron sat across from him at their dining table. Percy wasn’t meeting his gaze at all now, and Ron decided then that it was probably not a girlfriend.

“I’m giving some of Fred’s old things to Andromeda.” Percy mumbled, Ron frowned.

His thoughts immediately went to the dumb bear with patches, it was that type of thing Percy would be giving away. Who the hell even gave Percy permission to pawn off Fred’s things?! Ron saw the reasoning, Andromeda was just left with a baby and needed supplies. Fred wasn’t here to need his things anymore. But Ron still felt bitter towards the idea.

Percy softened his expression and placed a hand on Ron’s shoulder. “It’s just things, Ron. She really does need stuff. It’s not like Fred was going to be using his baby things anytime soon.” 

Ron knew he was right as he watched Percy, the boy was making sense, logical as always. Molly had planned that they would each keep their childhood things to pass on to their own children. But Ron didn’t understand how the stuff Fred owned could mean so little.

“Mum and Dad know?” Ron asked, his voice coming out a lot smaller than he meant it to.

Percy nodded and took his hand back, “Just dad.”

Ron chewed on the inside of his lip and nodded, eyes focusing on the table below. “How much have you given away?” 

Percy did that annoying thing where he stared at Ron like he was a puzzle again. Then he spoke, “Just clothes so far, this trunk is toys.”

Ron looked down at the trunk, then up to Percy again. Percy was watching him with such a gentle expression, one that looked as if he either thought Ron was going to yell at him or he thought Ron was going to break down. Ron offered him a tiny rueful smile, only to assure Percy he wasn’t mad.

Percy seemed to relax at his smile, and he even returned a small one. “Did you want to look? I can’t tell by looking at you, but I think you want something. I won’t tell Dad if you do.” Percy offered, Ron let his smile form into a more genuine one, since when was Percy this observant?

Percy took it as an answer, even though Ron hadn’t uttered a word. He opened the trunk over the kitchen table, Ron sat up and looked down into the contents to see toys neatly aligned on the inside of the trunk. He let his eyes roam over the plastic toys, some small stuffed kneazles, then to the bear, it was in the right corner of the trunk and it looked significantly worn down compared to the other things inside.

Ron reached out and picked it up, looking at Percy and nodding. “I just want this. Thank you.”

Percy pinched his younger brother’s cheek and shut the trunk, Ron smiled once more. “I’ve already stolen some of his old Weasley jumpers, they’re in my bedroom.” Percy confessed, and Ron suddenly wasn’t so upset about Percy giving things away, he still found emotional value in Fred’s possessions. 

Ron chuckled softly in return, “You’ll have to be careful too then, can’t have Dad know we have two smugglers.” He joked, stopping there as Andromeda knocked softly at the door in the kitchen. Ron made his way to the stairs as Percy went to open the door, he heard muffled voices conversing as he went back towards his bedroom.

When he got back into his room, Ron slid down against the closed door, sitting up against it. He stared down at the teddy bear, briefly wondering if he should go give it to George. But, Ron wasn’t sure if George knew about the teddy, and as selfish as it felt, he wanted to keep the thing Fred had shared with him.

Ron pulled the teddy bear into his arms, hugging it. He pressed his face into the side of its head, wondering how ridiculous his eighteen year old self looked, hugging a teddy bear. Ron felt tears track down his cheeks. He didn’t seem to mind it with the bear in his arms, he smiled at the feeling of acceptance and not the usual guilt at breaking his rule.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading ! i hope you enjoyed ron and grieving , i tried my best to keep him in character here :D


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